Mechanism for controlling, locking, and governing the amount of firing mixture supplied to engines propelled by internal combustion.



MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING, LOCKI W. P.. CONLEY. NG, AND SUPPLIED T0 ENGINES PROPELL LI8L57I.

GOVERNING THE AMOUNT OF FIRING MIXTURE ED BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 6, I913- Patented May 2, 1916.

WITNESSES r a r' WILLIAM P. CONLE'Y, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN W. ROGERS, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING, LOCKING, AND GOVERNING THE AMOUNT OF FIRING I MIXTURE SUPPLIED TO ENGINES PROPELLED' BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 11916..

Application filed January 6, 1913. Serial No. 740,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. CONLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Mechanism for Controlling, Locking, and Governing the Amount of Firing Mixture Su lied to En.-

gines Propelled by Internal Combustion, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toexplosive engines. One of the principal objects ofthe invention is to provide an eflicient, simple and inexpensive mechanism for closing it and positively locking the pipe or passageway through which the explosive mixture passes in going to the engine cylinders so that the engine can be started up only by one who is in possession of the key cpntrolling this mechanism.

The "mechanism is designed to be used especially in connection with the engine of an automobile, motorboat, or the like, to prevent the theft or unauthorized use of the same. Various different locking mechanisms for 1 explosive engines have been devised and some of these have been put into use; but so far as I am aware, noneof the eiforts to provide an efficient and practical engine lock have met all the requirements necessary for success. The mechanisms heretofore devised have hindered and made diflicult the taskof the thief but have not given that absolute security against the ingenuity of the latter which is desirable. My invention accomplishes this result by the interposition in the manifold pipe of the engine; in addition to the ordinarythrottlevalve, which is manipulated to control the speed of theengine, of a shut-off valve, and by providing a locking mechanism, for positively locking the valve in the closed position, which is incapable of being manipulated so as to open the valve. This expedient of shutting off the mixture and preventing it from entering the engine cylinders positively prevents the engine from being started .up by any unauthorized person. This same expedient of arranging the locked shut-off valve in the manifold (by, which I mean any pipe or other conduit leading from the carburetor to I the-engine cylinders) makes it possible to accomplish another object which my inven other novel and improved Referring to the drawing, 10 designates the engine, 11 the dashboard of the automo-- t1on has in view, namely; the provision of means whereby a predetermined limitation may be put upon the maximum speed at wh1c h the engine can be run. By positively locklng the shut-ofi' valve in the manifold in some oblique position between its full open and ltS closed position, as is contemplated by my invention when embodied in the preferred form, trolled so that the engine cannot exceed a predetermined speed.

The invention has for further objects such devices, arrangements and constructions relating to engine looks as will'be hereinafter described and claimed.

\ By the term positive used to qualify the means employed for locking the valve of my mvention I intend means, such asa key-operated or combination lock, for preventing 'an unauthorized person from moving the valve from the position in which it is held. In other words, by positive look I intend a lock in the narrow sense of the word, not a mere holding means which would be utterly ineffective in carrying out the objects of my invention.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, ing, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts in section, of the forward end of an automobile showing the locking mechanism of my invention applied to the engine. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the engine lock shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail illustratingthe joint in the operating rod; Fig. 4., a sectional plan, on an enlarged scale, taken on line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a sectional View on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6, a similar view on line 6-6 of Fig.4.

, Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawbile, 12 the carbureter, having a throttle valve 12 of any common or preferred type, and.13 the gasolene supply pipe. The valve which, .in accordance with my invention, is locked in the closed position to prevent the engine from being started.up,'in the fully open position, when it is desired to have the machine capable of running at a maximum the amount of fuel may be conin the accompanying draw- Inthe drawing the manifold pipe con-- sists of pipe section 14, the manifold proper, designated 15,.and a union or valve casing 16 interposed between the elements 14 and 15. butterfly valve secured to a shaft 18, one

end of which shaft bears in a nipple 19 in' the side of the union 16, the other end extending through the wall of the union on the other side into a space inclosedby a bonnet 20. This end of the shaft is provided with a crank 21. A spring 22 is coiled about shaft 18 and is anchored at one end to the side of the union, the other end bears. ing on the upper side of crank 21 so that the spring tends to force the valve to a closed position against the stops,2 3. The

' valve is opened by means of an operating rod which preferably extends through the dashboard, if the engine is located on an automobile, or is otherwise arranged so as to,

be conveniently manipulated. If the valve 17 is below the dashboard the operating rod may, as shown in the drawing, consist of two pivotally joined sections 24, 25. The former rod section is pivoted to the crank 21. The latter extends through a housing 26, 27 secured in an opening in the dashboard 11 by means of the screws 28. Apipe 29 surrounds the rod.. section 24 and the end of the rod section 25 and is threaded into the union 16 and into the housing member 26. Therod section 25 is provided, for convenience in manipulation, with the knob 30 and is guided in the housing member 27 and in a plug 31 located in the end of pipe 29. The underside of the rod section 25 is formed with a series of notches 32 adapted to be en gaged by a sector shaped bolt 33. The latter memberformsa part of a preferably v explosive engine for driving the same, of

key manipulated locking mechanism. I have shown this mechanism as of the pin tumbler or Yale lock type. The invention contemplates, however, that any locking means may be employed which Will prevent unauthorized manipulation of the shut-ofi' valve 17.

34 designates the escutcheon which is secured in a threaded opening in the housing member 27. The bolt 33 is secured to the end of the plug 35. As is well understood in mechanism of this sort, the plug is released from the pins 36by thrusting the key 37 into the keyholder against the drivers 38. By turning the key the sector bolt is rotated one way or the other out of engagement with the notches 32 in the operating rod. If the valve is open the spring 22 will close it; If closed it maybe opened to any desired extent by retracting the operating rod 25. The operating rod may be locked The shut-off valve 17 is preferably a in any desired'position so as to vary the effective opening through the union or valve casing 16 and so vary the amount of fuel supplied to the engine. Thus by one and the same device I provide meansfor either preventing the engine from being started up or for putting a limitation on the speed at which it. may be run.

The mechanism for manipulating the valve and for locking the same is so constructed that it is next to impossible to tamper with it. The operating rod is entirely inclosed in the pipe 29 which is threaded at one end into the union l6 and at the other end into the housing on the dashboard. In order to prevent the llIllOIl 16 from being removed and anothercoupling substituted in its place, the bolt holes 39 inthe upper flange '40 of the union, and in the corresponding flange of the member-15, are arranged out of line with the bolt'holes 41 in the lower flange 42 and'in the corresponding flange of pipe 14. This arrangement makes it practically impossible to substitute a union or coupling in place of that containing the valve even if the latter is removed. But the fact that the pipe 29 is threaded into the union 16 makes removal of the union 16 very difficult if not, in fact, impossible. The spring 22 acts directly upon the valves so that if the thief should succeed in breaking the operating rod 24, 25 the valve will close. p

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred embodiment it will be understood that modificationsmight bedevised without departure from the invention.

In the claims the term vehicle is used in the broader signification of carryingmeans to include, for example, a motor boat as well as an automobile.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle and an nism for Y ocking said valve in closed posi- I tion or -m any one of anumber of partially open positions.

3. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of means for setting a limit on the speedof said vehicle comprising a valve located in the manifold pipe of said engine, and a pos1- the engine, a valve in said casing, a" rod for -tive locking mechanism for locking said valve in any one of a number of different positions. i .Q

4. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of means for preventing an unauthorized operation of said engine comprising a valve located in the manifold pipe of said engine, a rod for operating said valve, and a positive locking mechanism-for locking. said rod in a fixed position.

5. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of means for preventing an unauthorized operation of said engine, comprising, a valve located in the manifold pipe of said engine, a rod for operating said valve, and a positive locking mechanism for locking said rod in any one of a number of different fixed positions. I

6. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of

means for preventing an unauthorized operation of said engine, comprising a valve" casing interposed in the manifold-pipe Jf operating said valve, a positive locking mechanism for locking said rod in fixed position, and a spring located in said casing which tends to movethe valve to a. closed position.

7. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of

means forpreventing an unauthorized operation of said engine, comprising a valve casing interposed in the manifold pipe of the engine a valve in said casing, a rod for oper-- ating said valve, a positive locking mechanism for locking said rod in fixed position,

and a housing connected with said valve casing and lnclosing said locking mechanism and rod through which the extremity of the I rod projects with a sliding engagement.

8. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of means for preventing an unauthorized operation of said engine, comprising a valve casing interposed inthe manifold pipe'of the engine, a ;valve in said casing. a rod for oper- -;ating theivalve, in positive locking mecha- 'nism for locking said rod-in fixed position,

' a housing connected with the .valve casing and inclosin-g the locking mechanism and rod through which the extremity of therod projects, and a spring, inclosed so that it cannot be tampered with, which tends to move said valve to a closed position when the rod is released from the locking mechanism.

9. The combination with a vehicle and anexplosive enginefor driving the-same, of

. means for preventing an unauthorized operationof said engine comprising a. valve located in the manifold pipe of said engine,a A

member movable in the direction of its length and connected at one end with the valve and formed at the other with a plurallty-ofnotches and a positive locking mechanism provided with a revoluble bolt for engagement with any one of said notches.

10. The combination with a vehicle and an explosive engine for drlving the same,

means for preventing an unauthorized operation of said enginecomprismg a caslnglnterposed in the manifold pipe of the engine,

v1.1. The combination with'la vehicle and an explosive engine for driving the same, of

a valve in said casing, a longitudinally movable operating member for the valve formed with a'plurality of notches, a positive lock- 'ing mechanism provided with a revoluble bolt adapted to engage with anyone of said notches, a housing inclosing'said locking" mechanism through which the,end of said operating member projects, and atubular element connected with said housing and with said valve casing through which said operating member extends with a sliding engagement. i

12. The combination of an explosive engine, a carbureter therefor'having a throttle valve, a second valve located between the carbureter and the explosion engine, and

-means-for locking said valve in its closed position against unauthorized operation.

13.-,A locking device for automobiles including incombination-cylinders, an intake manifold and acarbureter, said carbureter having a throttle valve for controlling the -speed of the engine, a second valve int'er-' posed between said carbureter and said cylinders, an inolosed operating shaft for saidsecond valve, said operating shaft terminat} ing in the drivers compartment, and locking means located in the drivers compartment and associated with said gperating shaft to prevent unauthorized actuation of said second valve.

4 wi'LLiA Ro'oNLEv. l

Witnesses: L. A. FALKENBERG, G. Y. SKINNER. 

